The last Wheat and Wheels Rally held three years ago and attracted about 5000 people with organisers bracing themselves for another good turnout. Source: Stuff NZ
Among the older attractions this time will be a 1924 cross-engined Case tractor, a 1949 half-tracked Fordson and a 1921 Bates steel mule with half tracks of which there are only two or three left in New Zealand.
Co-organiser John Hall said the 800 machinery entries were up on 500 entries for the inaugural event and the rally was celebrating vintage machinery as well as showing the progress to modern machinery.
He said the Tracks and Trucks theme of the rally would be boosted by the display of more than 100 crawler tractors.
The event organised by the Mid-Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club will showcase 170 trucks, 22 traction engines, 350 tractors, plus harvesting machinery, military vehicles, including a full size army tank, and 17 vintage and classic fire engines.
Classic and vintage cars and stationary engines will also be on display.
Two tractor treks, one from the North Island, and the other from Southland, are making their way to the rally.
At the Wakanui farm nearly five hectares of wheat have been set aside to be harvested with old and modern combine harvesters and a mill and chaff cutter will also be operating.
Continuous parades will be held in the ring over the two days and among several tracked combines on display will be the largest one in the world.
Profits from an entry fee will go to the Ronald McDonald House for specialist treatment for ill children and three years ago the club donated $20,000 to the facility.
